Comment & Debate
Om Prakash. “The Efficacy of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” Winning essay of the 2009 Secretary of Defense National Security Essay Competition: “would be on the Services. There are potential lessons to learn from other countries that have lifted the ban on homosexuals serving openly. There was no mass exodus of heterosexuals, and there was also no mass “coming-out” of homosexuals. Prior to lifting their bans, in Canada 62 percent of servicemen stated that they would refuse to share showers with a gay soldier, and in the United Kingdom, two-thirds of males stated that they would not willingly serve in the military if gays were allowed. In both cases, after lifting their bans, the result was “no-effect.”44 In a survey of over 100 experts from Australia, Canada, Israel, and the United Kingdom, it was found that all agreed the decision to lift the ban on homosexuals had no impact on military performance, readiness, cohesion, or ability to recruit or retain, nor did it increase the HIV rate among troops.”
Itamar Eichner. “Follow Israel’s example on gays in the military, US study says.” YNet. August 2, 2007: “The US military needs to learn from the IDF and the tolerant Israeli model regarding homosexual soldiers and officers, concluded a research project on gay and lesbian service in the IDF, undertaken at the University of California, in Santa Barbara.”
Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Patrick Guerriero: “A lawsuit should not be necessary when the experience of our allies in the war on terror, including Great Britain, Israel and Australia, all allow gays and lesbians to serve openly and honestly. A lawsuit should not be necessary when our military has lost thousands of needed military personnel under this policy. However, under these circumstances, where we are a nation at war fighting a global war against terrorism, we can no longer sit by and wait for our elected officials to find the political courage to do the right thing.”[1]
“Gays in the U.S. Military.” Religious Tolerance.: “Most countries have abandoned their anti-gay policies in recent years […] Among the armies in the Western industrialized world, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK allow gays and lesbians to serve freely.”
“Editorial: Don’t ask, don’t tell, just act.” Emerald Editorial Board. October 15, 2009: “Unit cohesion has never been an issue in Britain, Australia, Canada, Israel or any other country where LGBTQ persons serve openly.”